Octavia has only ever had one goal: to follow in the footsteps of her parents and become a prestigious whitecoat, one of the scientists who study the natural wonders of Faloiv. The secrets of the jungle’s exotic plants and animals are protected fiercely in the labs by the Council of N’Terra, so when the rules suddenly change, allowing students inside, Octavia should be overjoyed.

But something isn’t right. The newly elected leader of the Council has some extremist views about the way he believes N’Terra should be run, and he’s influencing others to follow him. When Octavia witnesses one of the Faloii—the indigenous people of Faloiv—attacked in front of her in the dark of night, she knows the Council is hiding something. They are living in separate worlds on a shared planet, and their fragile peace may soon turn into an all-out war.

With the help of Rondo, a quiet boy in class with a skill for hacking, and her inquisitive best friend, Alma, Octavia is set on a collision course to discover the secrets behind the history she’s been taught, the science she’s lived by, and the truth about her family.

A Conspiracy of Stars was so freakin’ dull, you guys. I went into it expecting action-packed science fiction, but instead what I got was what seemed like an encyclopaedia of alien species and biology. So much biology.

Now, I love science. I’m a nerd, and I love learning science-y stuff (that’s the professional term). But this… this was so boring. Instead of weaving the science stuff into the plot, the author info-dumped allllll of the information on these alien lifeforms. For pages and pages. There were whole sections with nothing happening but the main character waffling on about a certain alien species and how their digestive system worked. (The digestive system part isn’t a real example, but you catch my drift.)

I didn’t get a feel for the characters in this book because none of them were developed well enough. The main character had no personality, and I didn’t feel anything for her. Her friends all blurred into one as well. The only standout character was Octavia’s mother.

I do think the ending was intriguing enough to keep readers waiting for the sequel. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to read the follow up book when it comes out. I feel like the author’s writing might improve and develop with practise, and since things have switched up a bit, the sequel might contain less info-dumpy science bits. I’ll wait for reviews when the sequel is released before I make my decision.

One comment on “A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole”

ohwow, I’ve been seeing this on my local bookstore and I wasn’t sure if it way any good or not. and that cover is highly attractive. info dump will probably the death of my interest. Thanks for your honest review 🙂